Combined broadcast and unicast delivery

• US 8,949,451 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Einarsson, Torbjorn, Barnes, J. Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US13/535,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for facilitating combined broadcast and unicast delivery of content. According to various embodiments, a media stream from a content provider may be received at a unicast server and at a broadcast server. The media stream may comprise a plurality of media stream fragments. A relative delay may be introduced into the media stream at the broadcast server such that media stream fragments transmitted from the broadcast server are delayed relative to media stream fragments transmitted from the unicast server. The media stream fragments may be transmitted to a user device. The user device may be operable to switch between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media stream from a content provider at a unicast server and at a broadcast server, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments;

introducing a transport-type streaming delay into the media stream at the broadcast server, wherein media stream fragments transmitted from the broadcast server are delayed relative to media stream fragments transmitted from the unicast server, the media stream including a first fragment transmitted from the broadcast server after it is transmitted from the unicast server;

wherein the unicast server is operable to store the media stream fragments received from the content provider, and wherein the unicast server is further operable to provide the stored media stream fragments to the user device upon request;

wherein the transport-type streaming delay corresponds to a designated number of the media stream fragments transmitted via unicast and broadcast; and

transmitting the media stream fragments to a user device, wherein the user device is operable to switch between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server without interrupting a presentation of the media stream on the user device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server comprises:

determining, at the user device, that the broadcast server is no longer available; and

receiving, at the unicast server, a request from the user device to receive one or more of the media stream fragments.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server comprises:

determining, at the user device, that the broadcast server is available; and

receiving, at the user device, one or more of the media stream fragments broadcast by the broadcast server.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the user device is operable to maintain a media fragment buffer operable to store a designated number of the media stream fragments, and wherein the user device is operable to present media fragments stored in the media fragment buffer while switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the transport-type streaming delay corresponds to a designated time period.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the media stream is available to be received by the user device at a plurality of data rates, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the client machine, a message designating a data rate at which to receive the media stream.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the media stream comprises audio or video content selected from the group consisting of:

video subtitles, closed captioning, a plurality of alternate audio tracks, and a plurality of alternate video tracks.

8. A system comprising:

a unicast server including memory, a network interface, one or more processors, the unicast server being configured to;

receive a media stream from a content provider, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments, and

transmit the media stream fragments to a user device; and

a broadcast server including memory, a network interface, and one or more processors, the broadcast server configured to;

receive a media stream from a content provider, the media stream comprising the plurality of media stream fragments,

introduce a transport-type streaming delay into the media stream, wherein media stream fragments transmitted from the broadcast server are delayed relative to media stream fragments transmitted from the unicast server,

wherein the unicast server is operable to store the media stream fragments received from the content provider, and wherein the unicast server is further operable to provide the stored media stream fragments to the user device upon request,

wherein the transport-type streaming delay corresponds to a designated number of the media stream fragments transmitted via unicast and broadcast, and

transmit the media stream fragments to a user device, the media stream including a first fragment transmitted from the broadcast server after it is transmitted from the unicast server, wherein the user device is operable to switch between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server without interrupting a presentation of the media stream on the user device.

9. The system recited in claim 8, wherein switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server comprises:

determining, at the user device, that the broadcast server is no longer available; and

receiving, at the unicast server, a request from the user device to receive one or more of the media stream fragments.

10. The system recited in claim 8, wherein switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server comprises:

determining, at the user device, that the broadcast server is available; and

receiving, at the user device, one or more of the media stream fragments broadcast by the broadcast server.

11. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the user device is operable to maintain a media fragment buffer operable to store a designated number of the media stream fragments, and wherein the user device is operable to present media fragments stored in the media fragment buffer while switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.

12. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a media stream from a content provider at a unicast server and at a broadcast server, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments, each of the plurality of media stream fragments being transmitted by both the unicast server and the broadcast server;

introducing a transport-type streaming delay into the media stream at the broadcast server, wherein media stream fragments transmitted from the broadcast server are delayed relative to media stream fragments transmitted from the unicast server, the media stream including a first fragment transmitted from the broadcast server after it is transmitted from the unicast server;

wherein the unicast server is operable to store the media stream fragments received from the content provider, and wherein the unicast server is further operable to provide the stored media stream fragments to the user device upon request;

wherein the transport-type streaming delay corresponds to a designated number of the media stream fragments transmitted via unicast and broadcast; and

transmitting the media stream fragments to a user device, wherein the user device is operable to switch between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server without interrupting a presentation of the media stream on the user device.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media recited in claim 12, wherein switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server comprises:

determining, at the user device, that the broadcast server is no longer available; and

receiving, at the unicast server, a request from the user device to receive one or more of the media stream fragments.